August 2012 Archives

Soccer at the Valley highlights Labor Day weekend for Marquette Athletics. The men's team is set to host the University of Illinois-Chicago on Friday, with a Qdoba taco bar for all students in attendance, while the women's squad hosts Central Michigan on Monday at 1 p.m. The women's volleyball team will be in Cincinnati on Friday and Saturday for the Xavier Invitational.

Empty the Res Halls - Qdoba Picnic
All residence halls are invited to represent your hall at the Valley. Make
your residence hall be known with face and body painting, poster making, and a
special residence hall welcome public announcement! All MU students are
invited to attend a halftime tailgate with a free taco bar presented by Qdoba.

SC
Waukesha Team Night
Club members are invited to the match at the $2/person group rate.

Check out this angle of Sebastian Jansson's game-winning goal against Milwaukee as time expires. It doesn't get any closer than this. TopDrawerSoccer.com has called it "the greatest finish you'll ever see."

Congratulations to the first graduates of the master in leadership studies, with a specialization in sports leadership offered through Marquette University's College of Professional Studies!

Enrollment in the 15-credit graduate certificate in sports leadership and the 36-credit master's degree in leadership studies with a sports leadership specialization continue to grow as students look for the best programs to develop their leadership skills to help launch or advance their sports career.

Samantha Austin - director of student ticketing, University of Florida

With the 2012-13 school year finally upon us, Marquette Athletics has a busy Friday evening on tap as students return to campus.

Both soccer programs take on the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee at Valley Fields, while the women's volleyball team hosts the first match of the Marquette Challenge at the Al McGuire Center against Bowling Green.

Saturday the cross country and track and field programs are set to host their annual Alumni Run at the Melvin 'Bus' Shimek Track and Field Facility and the Marquette Challenge will run through Sunday afternoon.

SEASON
OPENERTournament
Admission
Come cheer on the volleyball team as they open the 2012 season! Any ticket
purchased for this game will allow you admittance to Sunday afternoon's match
against Northwestern.

Post-Match Autograph Signing
After the conclusion of the match, head up to the concourse to receive your
2012 volleyball schedule poster and have your favorite Marquette Volleyball
Golden Eagles sign it!

Navy Nightmare Presented by the MU Spirit
Shop
All fans are encouraged to wear navy as we create a NAVY NIGHTMARE for
Milwaukee at Valley Fields! The most spirited/best dressed Marquette student
will win a $150 gift card to the MU Spirit Shop. Second and third place
students will receive $25 MU Spirit Shop gift cards. (Winners will be announced between
matches)

T-shirt GiveawayThe first 500 fans through the gates (beginning at 5:30 p.m.) will
also receive a free commemorative t-shirt, courtesy of Lowland Grand Cafe

Kickoff PartyKids are encouraged to arrive
early to the game to take their picture with the Golden Eagle, make a sign to
cheer on the team, and complete other fun MU athletic activities!

Pizza Giveaway for StudentsThe first 200 students to the Al will
receive free pizza courtesy of Pizza Hut.

Post-Match
Autograph Signing
After the conclusion of the match, head up to the concourse to receive your
2012 volleyball schedule poster and have your favorite Marquette Volleyball
Golden Eagles sign it!

Welcome to a new weekly video series, "Movin' It With Maegan." Each week, women's soccer player Maegan Kelly will be competing against a fellow student-athletes in a dance contest.

Marquette fans can vote each week by tweeting at @muathletics and submitting their respective vote with a special hashtag. Competing against Maegan (#votemaegan) this week is men's soccer player C Nortey (#votec).

Welcome to a new weekly video series, "Movin' It With Maegan." Each week, women's soccer player Maegan Kelly will be competing against a fellow student-athletes in a dance contest.

Marquette fans can vote each week by tweeting at @muathletics and submitting their respective vote with a special hashtag. Competing against Maegan (#votemaegan) this week is teammate Katie Hishmeh (#votekatie).

Marquette University sophomore CJ Swift missed the cut at the U.S. Amateur Championship on Tuesday after shooting a second-round 75 at Common Ground Golf Course in Aurora, Colo.

Swift, who opened the stroke-play portion of the event Monday with a first-round 2-over-73 at Cherry Hills Country Club, will not advance to match play. He became the first Marquette golfer to qualify for the event since Mike Van Sickle in 2009.

With yesterday's closing ceremonies putting an end to the 2012 London Olympics, Sean Lengell of The Washington Times penned an article highlighting former Marquette University sprinter Ralph Metcalfe as an exemplary figure who crossed into politics following a successful Olympic career.

Metcalfe, pictured on the left with Eddie Tolan at the 1932 Olympics, was the world's foremost sprinter during the early half of the 1930s, setting or tying every single sprinting record during that time. The Chicago native competed in both the 1932 and 1936 Olympics and earned four medals in total, including a gold in the men's 400-meter relay in Berlin with the immortal Jesse Owens.

Metcalfe was the senior class president during his final year at Marquette and played an instrumental role in getting the month of February officially recognized as "Black History Month" during his time in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Perhaps the most noteworthy is Ralph Metcalfe, who served in the House from Chicago's South Side in the 1970s. In the early 1930s, he was considered the fastest man on the planet. Metcalfe burst onto the track scene while at Marquette University, winning several 100-meter and 200-meter national collegiate titles. He won a silver and a bronze medal in those events during the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles.

But it was at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin where Mr. Metcalfe's status as an international hero to many -- and a bane to one -- was solidified. Germany's Adolf Hitler was using the games to promote his racist and fascist views, and he had boasted that German athletes would prove their self-professed superiority. Instead, black runners, including Metcalfe and Jesse Owens, dominated. The teammates won a gold medal in the 400-meter relay, and Metcalfe finished second in the 100-meter dash behind Mr. Owens.

After serving in the Chicago City Council, Metcalfe was elected to the House in 1970 as a Democrat. In 1971, he was one of several co-founders of the Congressional Black Caucus. He served in Congress until his death in 1978.

He was elected to the U.S.A. Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1975.

"He will always be a great figure with African-Americans, and I think if more people knew him throughout the country they too would begin to see him as a major figure whose accomplishments cannot and should not be ignored," said Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, Missouri Democrat and caucus chairman.

"Great athlete, Olympian and a great mind. And he was a man of integrity and character."

Marquette University women's soccer head coach Markus Roeders took timeout during the first week of the Golden Eagles' preseason to answer your questions as the guest of this week's installment of the Marquette Mailbag.

Q: My daughter is in middle school and loves playing soccer. What advice would you give her (and me) to help her continue to develop her skills to the point that she might be able to get a college scholarship?- Rob, Whitefish Bay

A: Rob - great question. Youth soccer or sports in general is very structured these days and it is important to have young kids in an environment so they have fun and keep building on the passion of the sport. The more they enjoy it, the harder they work at it and their skills will improve. I would make sure that your daughter has access to good coaches/teachers who fuel her love of the game and as she gets older to put her in the right environment of competition and commitment level. Since she is still several years away from going to college, and there are many opportunities at the college level, being great at the fundamentals over the next few years may just open many more doors to play collegiate soccer.

Q: I read a story the other day about men's basketball coaches recruiting kids in 8th and 9th grade... that seems so young! Does this happen in soccer too? How early in a kid's playing days do you start recruiting?- Jill, Waukesha

A: Jill - that would be very young for us. The kids at that age are still developing and growing into their bodies so it is difficult to assess how they may do at the collegiate level. Although we prefer to recruit at the later high school years, the trend is more toward high school sophomores and juniors, although we have picked up many, many talented players in their senior year as well.

Q: How does conference realignment affect you and the women's soccer program at Marquette? Obviously West Virginia was a great program. Do the new Big East teams have strong soccer teams?- Adam, Milwaukee

A: Adam - The Big East is a fantastic conference and women's soccer across the league is very strong. Change is part of the college environment and I believe the future is very bright for our league. Teams are getting stronger and I actually think we have a big advantage due to our geography since Big East member schools have a tendency of not clustering their recruiting but it is more spread. It is very attractive for athletes plus you get to see much of the country as you compete against other schools. In 2013, we will add a couple top 25 programs with Central Florida and Memphis plus SMU, Temple and Houston are on the upswing.

Q: You've been coaching for a long time now. What is the most challenging part of being a Division I head coach?- John Richards, West Bend

A: Great question John. The greatest challenge is probably balancing the demands of pursuing my hobby, coaching at a great university, and spending quality and ample time with my family.I don't see coaching or being a head coach as a job, I am very fortunate in that regard. But, it is a constant so I have to make sure that I have balance. The other difficult part is seeing young athletes in our program dealing with health issues and injuries. Athletes want to play and compete and when that is limited or taken away, I am concerned about their well-being and getting back on the field.

Q: Coach Markus - best of luck this season. Who will replace Natalie Kulla as goalkeeper and what is Kulla doing now?- Michelle P., Middleton, WI

A: Michelle - Thank you! We are excited about this team and the year ahead. I would say we lost one of the all-time great players in Marquette history and Natalie was truly special as a person, student and athlete. We won't replace her but someone else will need to step up and take over the goalkeeping role for our team. We are fortunate to have Sofie Schunk back for her junior year and Amanda Engel and Jordan Scott are talented freshmen. Natalie now lives in her hometown of St. Louis, works for the Boeing Company as an engineer and plans to start graduate school in St. Louis this fall. She is very bright and big things are ahead of her.

Q: If you had to pick one moment, what's the greatest feeling the game of soccer has ever given you?- Bryce, Milwaukee

A: Bryce - wow! Not sure if I can answer that. I have been very fortunate to pursue my passion for the game my entire life. Growing up in Germany, soccer was always around me and a fabric of my upbringing. I love soccer. I have had many wonderful moments and feelings that tie in with the game of soccer. I think there is something very special when a group of people commit themselves to working extremely hard at playing the game and being successful. Perhaps the need of individual excellence but then the sacrifice of giving up the individual reward for the good of the team and the joy on the team's faces when a goal is achieved or success is earned. This might be too deep but for me it is definitely always centered around the team.

Q: What will it take for you to not wear shorts during a game?- Randall, West Allis

A: Randall - I love wearing shorts. It is rarely too cold to wear shorts; I guess the NCAA could pass a rule and ban it. I don't see it coming though!

Marquette University sophomore C. Nortey has been named to
the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team, while the defending Blue Division champion
Golden Eagles were picked to finish fourth in Blue Division in the league's
2012 preseason poll.

A native of Accra, Ghana, Nortey was a unanimous BIG EAST
All-Rookie Team selection last season when he led the team with 20 points after
moving from the midfield to striker early in the campaign. Nortey's nine goals
were the most by an MU freshman in nearly 20 years. His breakthrough season
helped the Golden Eagles to a 7-2-0 record in the BIG EAST and the school's
first conference title since 2002.

Connecticut, which advanced to the 2011 NCAA quarterfinals,
was selected by the league's coaches to finish atop the Blue Division in the
2012 BIG EAST Men's Soccer Preseason Poll released Monday. Notre Dame and
Georgetown were also picked to finish ahead of MU, respectively, rounded out by
Providence, Seton Hall and Pittsburgh.

St. John's (14-7-2 overall record in 2011) was selected to
win the Red Division, edging division rivals USF and Louisville.

While a majority of the fans on campus watching the Olympic women's soccer match between the United States and Canada were thrilled with the 4-3 victory by the USA in extra time, MU women's soccer player and Laval, Quebec, Canada, native Vanessa Legault-Cordisco didn't take part in the celebration.

Legault-Cordisco, who owns international experience with the senior national team as recently as last year, departs on Wednesday for the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Japan. She has practiced or played with just about every member of the current roster. Unfortunately, she was forced to watch Monday afternoon's match with fans of the United States.

"I was so proud of the effort of the team today," Legault-Cordisco said. "It's crazy how much the program has improved in recent years and it's nice to see the tactics we are working on at the U-20 level put into action by the senior team."

Legault-Cordisco was also very impressed with Christine Sinclair's hat trick and leadership.

"I don't think a team could have a better captain," Legault-Cordisco explained. "She put the team on her back and gave it her all. She was amazing today."

While Legault-Cordisco is excited about the opportunity to represent her country on the field, she also has mixed emotions about leaving her MU Family just a week into preseason. She also missed a portion of the 2011 campaign while competing for Canada.

"The timing is especially tough this year because we just started," Legault-Cordisco said. "I am going to miss being with the team and it will be tough coming right back into the season, but it's a great experience and an opportunity I can't pass up."

Marquette women's lacrosse head coach Meredith Black was our guest for the latest edition of "Marquette Mailbag," answering your questions on her first year on the job and the upcoming campaign...

Q: With men's/boys lacrosse
growing so rapidly across the area, what recommendations would you have to a
growing LAX Club that would like to expand into adding a girls program?
One of our greatest challenges appears to be finding female coaches with lacrosse
background or general "parents" that are not intimidated by learning
and coaching a girls team.

Thank
you in advance for your response.

-Rob Murphy, Franklin, Wis.

A: Honestly, I do not have a great answer to this. First and
foremost, I would start by having clinics in order to have girls try out the
sport. I think the hardest part is getting the girls to try it out because no
one wants to purchase the stick if they are not going to stick with it. I would
say have a couple sticks on hand and have the girls learn the basics of the
game. Then I would encourage any parents who would help out to go to USLacrosse.org
and check out the coaching clinics they offer online. I think we need to
educate everyone on the game and that is the first step. I think with Marquette
adding this sport, it will give everyone in the state an opportunity to see the
game in its best form.

Q:If you had to put a label on
the team right now, do you think you'll be defensive-minded or do you like to
play a more run-and-gun offensive attack?

-Taylor, Dayton, Ohio

A: I would say at this point we are more defensive heavy, but
it is interesting that you ask that because I am a more run-and-gun offensive coach.
I think we will get to that point, but we need to take this time and focus on
our defense. We also have some highly skilled defenders coming in, which should
help us in that area.

Q: What has been the biggest
obstacle in building the program from scratch, especially with being a
first-time head coach?

-Tony, Madison

A: My lack of patience is the biggest obstacle for me. I know I
have to be patient, but I want to win and I want to be playing in championships
tomorrow, but that is not realistic. There is a lot of work to be done before
we get to that point, so I need to calm myself down and do not let my lack of
patience get the best of me.

Q: What has been your primary
focus this summer? Recruiting? Scheduling? A lot of everything I imagine.-Jen, West Allis, Wis.

A: RECRUITING!!! My assistants and I have been out on the road
every single week/weekend since June 4. The entire focus has been on recruiting
as we get most of our recruits from the club circuit which all happens over the
summer.

Q:What would you say are your
primary selling points when you're recruiting kids to come play at Marquette?

Tomas, Milwaukee

A: 1. Idea that they get to help in creating the legacy of
Marquette women's lacrosse.

2. The campus (It sells itself. It has the best of both worlds, an urban
setting with a campus feel).
3. The fact that they have an open door to come in and make an impact right off
the bat.

Q: Does any part of you wish you were
still playing? How many times during a practice do you have to resist the urge
to jump into the play?-Kristina, Mequon, Wis.

A: I always wish I was still playing. Every single day I wish
that I could go out and be the one in college. Both my assistants and I
actually played almost every day this past year. Since we have no
"upperclassmen" on the team, we have to step in and set the standard
for what we expect. Luckily I am young enough that I can still play with these
girls. Ask this same question in 10 years. :-)

"Throwback Thursday" is a weekly feature in the GoMarquette.com Social Summer Series

Today's Throwback Thursday takes you back 10 years to the unveiling of the architect's rendering of the Al McGuire Center on February 18, 2002.

Marquette President Father Wild, S.J. introduces plans for the new on-campus facility as Athletic Director Bill Cords and women's basketball Head Coach Terri Mitchell unveil the design.

As part of the unveiling, Marquette alumnus Steve Michels announced a gift of $1.5 million to the project. With Mr. Michel's gift, Marquette had raised $19 million for construction of the facility. The McGuire Center opened in October 2003 at a cost of $31 million.

"On The Record" is the official blog of Marquette Athletics, maintained by the department's media relations staff. The blog will be the exclusive home for behind-the-scenes access to each of the University's 14 NCAA Division I programs, including daily updates, videos, photos, podcasts and much more.